Everyone suffered from their own anxieties. While some people forcibly suppressed them to find composure, they were either naturally inclined that way or had developed immunity through experiencing many hardships.
Those experiencing anxiety and fear for the first time struggled and fluttered about, trying desperately to escape. This was especially true for the nobly-raised aristocrats.
“Your Highness, if I may say so, your authority should not be diminished. Isn’t what His Majesty the Emperor wants from you just slightly better results?”
The Crown Prince’s faction was worried that the Crown Prince, who had done nothing but make mistakes throughout the engagement ceremony, might completely fall out of the Emperor’s favor. Although Gregory was said to be his only legitimate son, he wasn’t the Emperor’s only illegitimate child.
The Emperor’s closeness to the Grand Duke of Lusenford was concerning. While the Grand Duke himself might not share any blood ties, his wife was a member of the imperial family – and one who carried the previous emperor’s bloodline at that!
“What are you so worried about? Power exists to be wielded. Until now, His Highness the Crown Prince handled things alone, but now he’s become family with our Keruzhan. Of course, Keruzhan will help in every way possible.”
Prince Elkanan, who deliberately stayed behind and was supposedly the second-in-command of the Keruzhan Kingdom, was also anxious. He might be second-in-command now.
However, he was ultimately a collateral relative as the king’s brother, and to wield maximum power as a collateral branch, he needed to prepare for the future.
He needed to cement this engagement and secure the future emperor under his control. The engagement couldn’t fall apart, and the Crown Prince couldn’t fall. He was already aware of the anxiety that the Crown Prince could be replaced.
“We need to do something quickly. How long do we have to wait?”
So after listening to various people’s stories, the Crown Prince secretly summoned Beatrice alone and urgently pressed her.
He had to prove somehow that he was better than the Grand Duke of Lusenford. In his foolish and immature mind, he couldn’t find any other way to break the Grand Duke except by targeting the Grand Duchess.
Trying to investigate Lusenford to find the Grand Duke’s weaknesses was too difficult – it was too far away, filled with gold veins, jewels, and iron mines, and even recent expansion construction was progressing without any issues. In reality, the young and weak Grand Duchess was the Grand Duke’s only weakness.
Or perhaps his only strength. If they removed the Grand Duchess, the connection point to the imperial family, the Grand Duke could never replace the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, as a “recognized legitimate illegitimate child,” knew best how formidable bloodlines could be.
“Everything is prepared. But what about you, Your Highness?”
Beatrice, who had somehow managed to defend Monde Castle and her father’s corpse but lost two southern villas and a large townhouse in Craine, had moved to a small townhouse in Craine’s theater district.
Located in the bustling area, it had fewer rooms and less overall space, leading to frequent fights with the Duchess of Monde whenever they crossed paths.
Since it was seized property, she could get it back if she paid her debts. But for a noble, having property seized was evidence of decline. Putting jewels up for auction meant one had hit rock bottom.
Although she decided to sell the southern villa to pay off debts, her wealth was genuinely diminishing bit by bit. Beatrice grew increasingly anxious. In her anxiety, she kept resorting to stronger, more powerful, and sometimes extreme methods.
“Your Highness, are you prepared?”
Like her, the anxious Crown Prince was still immature and timid, preferring the safer path.
“I…”
“Can you do it with what I’ve obtained?”
Beatrice was also desperate. Her eyes stared fixedly at the Crown Prince. Yet all her attention was directed toward Soleil Palace, where the Emperor was.
Perhaps, perhaps it might be possible now. While she couldn’t reach the level of using various magical tools like Peon had since childhood, she might be able to shake things up briefly.
Beatrice slightly lowered her hand and moved only her tongue inside her mouth. Something like black smoke stretched slightly toward the Crown Prince.
“If, if I ask mother…”
Such a pathetic coward, still calling for his mother at that age. Beatrice hid her contempt and nodded.
“Yes, Your Highness. That’s a good idea.”
It’s not a good idea – it’s an extremely cowardly thought, like a child hiding behind his mother’s skirts and whining for her to do things for him.
Beatrice withdrew her hand that had been about to use forbidden magic. Even if he was the Crown Prince with the empire’s future at stake, she didn’t want to dream of a future while catering to such a child’s whims.
‘She can wield power plenty well without forbidden magic.’
But just because the Crown Prince was easy to handle didn’t mean her problems would be solved. While she was solving the Crown Prince’s problems, who would solve hers?
Peon – yes, there was Peon, but he was too difficult to approach. Beatrice felt anxious, as if something unknown was constantly chasing and overwhelming her.
Of course, there were several others in Soleil Palace who were also anxious and uneasy.
The Head Chamberlain Count Horhen was anxious about the Emperor who constantly sought out magicians and even sorcerers, and recently had become overly dependent on Beatrice Ravalley.
The Emperor always peered into everyone’s minds through magical tools and only used Beatrice efficiently to keep the Grand Duke of Lusenford in check.
“We don’t know when the Empress will disappear. Last night she faded twice, and once she disappeared completely. What did the Light Dragon say?”
The Emperor, who summoned Beatrice whom he had sent to the Light Dragon, wasn’t in his right mind either as he questioned her with bloodshot eyes. He had been constantly struggling with anxiety that he had tried to bury while clutching onto the Empress and Peon.
“He said it looked interesting and would cooperate. He also gave medicine for both Your Majesties.”
The Emperor nodded repeatedly with bloodshot eyes gleaming at Beatrice’s words.
“Yes, yes. Dragons should fight dragons. He gave medicine, you say? Medicine? Hm… what kind of medicine?”
He kept repeating words like an old man.
“He said it’s medicine that can bring back Her Majesty’s consciousness. For Your Majesty, he said it’s medicine to restore vitality. However, we should verify what kind of medicine it is.”
“Yes. I was about to say that very thing. How can we trust non-human beings? Of course, they’ll demand payment from now on?”
“Yes. Speaking of gold…”
The Emperor waved his hand.
“That’s after we verify the medicine.”
She had hoped to slip in some money to pay off her debts on top of what the Light Dragon demanded. Beatrice had no choice but to withdraw. Then the Head Chamberlain quietly entered.
“You followed her this time?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve reconfirmed the intelligence department’s information that the merchant guild that bought Monde Duchy’s debts is connected to the Light Dragon. It’s certain.”
Head Chamberlain Count Horhen, who had followed Beatrice Ravalley when she contacted the Light Dragon, reported.
“Yes. We can’t just trust Beatrice alone when dealing with a dragon.”
That habit of suspecting everyone, monitoring with magical tools, and digging for information wouldn’t just disappear. Without magical tools functioning properly, the Emperor’s paranoia and anxiety only deepened.
“She’s already selling off houses because of her many debts – who knows what tricks she might pull? If she had always been poor, she’d be easier to handle. You can’t trust someone who suddenly becomes desperate for money after living well.”
The Emperor shook his head and muttered like a madman.
“The Empress must wake up… but even if she wakes up, if the Evil Dragon plays tricks… how did that bastard…”
The Emperor instinctively knew. The Empress he had firmly gripped for decades was slipping from his hands.
Fearing she might escape someday, he had strangled both the Empress and Peon again and again, as much as he had forcibly taken her – was the knot not tight enough?
“Call in Hyperion!”
There were many anxious people in the palace. After sending Beatrice away, the Emperor now called for the Grand Duke of Lusenford and caused another scene.
Now the Emperor relied not on the Crown Prince who was engaged to an ally, but on the Empress’s illegitimate child.
He now belatedly depended on Peon as if he were the eldest son, keeping him in Craine instead of sending him to Lusenford. This was his trump card. Even if the Empress disappeared, he needed to keep a firm grip on Peon.
“What do you mean, Your Majesty? Light Dragon – you’re saying there’s another dragon?”
“That’s right. That’s it. You really are clever. You understand right away. That bastard Evil Dragon Gusalante keeps trying to take your mother away. So we must fight dragon with dragon!”
Peon, who had been summoned, indifferently watched the Emperor trembling with a blackened face. Before the regression, he would have found it extremely amusing. It was still amusing now, but not “extremely” so.
Rather than pure enjoyment, other thoughts came to mind. Would Kaela’s fear of the Emperor fade if he showed her this? No, she might turn away, not wanting to see it. Indeed, it was an ugly sight to show Kaela.
As ugly as it was to clear away, how many years had his mother endured here? Worry makes people sick, and the anxiety buried for nearly 30 years had finally bloomed, taking the Emperor as its host.
“Can it be trusted?”
“The Light Dragon gave me this magical tool! That’s why your mother is here! When only magical tools given by dragons work properly, what reason is there not to trust?”
Peon watched the Emperor without emotion. Let him be anxious and afraid for a very, very long time. Frightened, not knowing whether it was the Empress or an illusion by his side.
After pretending to listen to the Emperor’s ramblings, he immediately left the ominously bustling palace. The devoted husband returned straight home where his sick wife waited, carrying an armful of various summer flowers.
Of course, before meeting Kaela, he washed from head to toe and changed everything he was wearing. He couldn’t meet his sick wife looking as he did after meeting such an unclean person.
Moreover, he had to be especially careful when meeting his wife. Kaela was so young it made him feel terribly guilty, and she was a delicate, refined lady whose surroundings always needed to be clean.
Though he entered quietly, Kaela slightly raised her eyes.
“Where did you go?”
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”
Peon quickly approached the bed while apologizing.
“I can’t sleep. It’s stifling.”
“Stifling? Are you hot?”
Instead of answering, Kaela reached out her hand. While giving her the armful of gorgeous flowers, Peon checked the room temperature.
Though it was summer, he always kept Kaela’s room slightly cool and refreshing. Because she had suffered from high fever while fighting for her life after falling into the river, he was extremely sensitive about temperature control.
“I went to the palace. Are you hot?”
Kaela shook her head with her nose buried in the flowers.
“It’s stifling.”
He looked down at Kaela in her white muslin nightgown, then picked up the muslin robe draped over the back of the chair by the bedhead where he always sat. After spreading the robe wide and placing it over Kaela’s narrow shoulders, he gently lifted her in his arms.
“Let’s go out.”
Can we go out? Kaela’s eyes grew round.
But the moment Peon turned, their surroundings were already filled with white sand beach and emerald sea. It was a beach – a quiet and beautiful beach located at the southern tip of Ostein.
“Oh… oh!”
As soon as she saw the sea, Kaela’s eyes widened and she started squirming instinctively. Peon gritted his teeth and held her tight. He knew this would happen.
“No. No running off. Stay in the shade because the sun is too strong. No going into the sea either.”
Kaela pointed at the sea with a look that said ‘how can that be?’
“The sea…, it’s the sea!”
How long had it been since she’d seen the sea! She hadn’t seen it once since leaving Ostein for the last time before the regression.
“Still no. Just look.”
The sun shining down on Ostein was both brilliant and harsh. At least the climate was dry, so Peon laid out a spot in the deep shade under lush trees and sat Kaela down.
“Just a little closer…”
“I said no.”
“You’re a dragon. You can make it happen.”
Peon was struck speechless and stared at Kaela. Clutching the flowers tightly, she had been enthusiastically pointing at the sea, but when their eyes met, she flinched and lowered her gaze.
If she was going to argue, she should argue all the way through – what was that? Peon found it most horrifying when Kaela avoided his gaze and acted cautious. It was evidence that Kaela feared him.
“You fell in the water. That’s why you’re sick like this.”
He hated it so, so, so much. He would rather she hate him, resent him, treat him roughly – that would be welcome and good. When she feared him, he just wanted to die. Clever Kaela must have told him to live knowing this.
“Even though I know summer sea temperatures are warm, if you collapse again and lose consciousness…”
He soothed her gently. Very softly and tenderly so she wouldn’t be frightened. But even as he soothed her, his throat tightened.
He never wanted to see his wife like that again – smiling in the darkness as if she would disappear at any moment, as if she was happy to disappear, like a water nymph. He never wanted to see his wife groaning and delirious with fever again.
Every time she lay unconscious in bed, Peon discovered new forms of madness. It was always surprising how far suppressed madness could be pushed down and how far it could reach.
“Not even dipping my feet?”
Eyes full of caution asked carefully. How could he say no when she asked like that? Peon closed his eyes and sighed. If he was going to refuse, he shouldn’t have looked at her first.
“Later, let’s try dipping them in together just once.”
But his mouth moved on its own.
“Really? Really truly?”
When he opened his eyes, Kaela was brightly smiling while hugging the flowers tight. Ah. I see. Her eyes resembled the clear, pure blue Ostein sky.
“Yes.”
Kaela, who had been lying listlessly saying she felt stifling, raised both arms high and went “Waa~” as she met the sea breeze. Her platinum blonde hair, roughly braided and tied with ribbon, scattered and the white muslin with lots of lace trim fluttered.
After catching the robe before it could fly away, Peon still felt anxious about Kaela. Small, white, she shone palely. Just as she had in the dark water, even under the harsh sun she seemed like a being that might scatter into the air.
“Is it less stifling now?”
“Yes!”
Her voice had grown a bit brighter. Peon smiled slightly.
“What would you like to drink? Aren’t you hot?”
“I’m not hot. But never mind that – why did you go to the palace? Did His Majesty summon you?”
Even while trying not to worry and shutting herself off from the world by pulling the blanket over her head, Kaela still responded sensitively to the political situation. Because that situation had killed her father and led to her own miserable death.
Even now she was asking out of curiosity and concern. Peon untied her hair ribbon and gathered her platinum blonde hair in one hand before it could fly about wildly.
“Yes.”
“Why? What did you do there?”
“He called me because he was anxious and spouted nonsense….I just thought to myself.”
He began braiding her gathered hair again. He had learned to handle hair quite well by now.
“What thoughts?”
“Whether to kill the Emperor or kill the Crown Prince.”
The dragon wasn’t joking, but was truly contemplating it as if discussing something ordinary. Kaela unconsciously grabbed his wrist.
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